


Inverse Zero

by DONTSALTME69



Series: Inverse Fate [1]
Category: Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night (Visual Novel), Fate/stay night - All Media Types
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Character Swap, Canon-Typical Violence, Fourth Holy Grail War (Fate), Gen, Holy Grail War (Fate), Servant Swap, Tragedy, What if the Fate/Stay Night Servants were in Fate/Zero?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:47:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25372609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DONTSALTME69/pseuds/DONTSALTME69
Summary: What would happen if the Fate/Stay Night Servants were summoned in Fate/Zero? Would things end with less pain, or would the tragedy surrounding the Fourth Holy Grail War remain as it was?
Relationships: Emiya Kiritsugu/Irisviel von Einzbern, Heroic Spirit EMIYA | Archer/Artoria Pendragon | Saber, Tohsaka Aoi/Tohsaka Tokiomi
Series: Inverse Fate [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1917316
Comments: 39
Kudos: 103
Collections: FATE: Unlimited Paths v2





	1. Berserker

Kariya collapsed onto his knees, the summoning finally complete. He looked up at his new Servant, a hulking giant of a man that seemed to be made of stone.

 _Heracles_.

The Master coughed up blood, the strain of keeping Berserker materialized instantly getting to him.

Zouken laughed at him.

" _Shut_... _up_..." Kariya hissed, forcing himself to stand. He still had a mission to complete. He was going to save Sakura, no matter what. The Holy Grail was going to be his.

He just wasn't sure if he was going to live long enough to see Sakura after that happens.

* * *

The first real battle of the war started surprisingly quickly. Lancer and Saber had engaged each other at the docks. While Kariya wasn't aware of it, every other Servant of the war was watching this battle.

The fight between Lancer and Saber had began to slow. They stared each other down, reevaluating their strategies.

Kariya smirked, giving his Servant one order.

"Kill them."

Heracles appeared between them, swinging his weapon at Saber first. Saber blocked it, getting smashed into a shipping container from the sheer force.

"Berserker?" Saber questioned, picking herself up. Lancer dodged one of Heracles' wild slashes, leaping a good twenty feet into the air and doing two full backflips in the air. "Lancer, can I trust you to assist me in this battle?"

"Of course, Saber. I've got a bone to pick with this asshole for interrupting us just as it was getting _good_." Lancer said, sidestepping an overhead strike from Heracles. He slashed a couple times, cutting Heracles' limbs. Lancer was quickly forced to dodge more attacks, only for Saber to attack from the side.

The combined assault of Saber and Lancer was too much for Heracles. It took one of his lives.

Kariya collapsed from the strain, ordering Heracles to retreat. He understood perfectly what was going on. The Berserker class was known for draining mana at an obscene rate, and Heracles was a powerhouse even for the class. This meant that Kariya will never manage to last the entire war, even if he simply hid for the rest of it until the very end.

He decided that it was time to pay someone a visit.

* * *

He went to the Tohsaka mansion the next night, ordering Heracles to run wild. He wouldn't need to last for very long.

Just long enough to punish the man who sentenced Sakura to hell.

" _Tokiomi_!" He roared from the yard. Heracles tore through the defenses like they were wet paper, until a volley of arrows struck him. Archer stood on the roof, holding a silver longbow. Assassin walked out of the door, drawing his katana. " _You'll pay for what you did to Sakura_!"

Archer muttered something to himself, firing another volley of arrows to annoy Heracles. Assassin engaged Heracles in direct combat, avoiding every blow with perfect precision. Heracles was starting to slow down.

So was Kariya. He managed to slip past while the Servants were fighting, making his way inside.

Kariya found himself face to face with Tokiomi in a hall.

"Kariya. You must be Berserker's Master." Tokiomi said.

"Shut up and die. You sold Sakura off to the Matous." Kariya hissed, sending an army of insects flying at Tokiomi.

Tokiomi pointed his cane forward, creating a barrier that burned away every insect that approached.

"I did so to allow her to have her potential realized." Tokiomi calmly explained. He clearly had no clue what was going on with the Matou family. Kariya didn't care. "Only one child can ever be the true heir to a mage family. Only one child can be granted the Magic Crest. Why should I force one of my daughters to wallow in obscurity while the other becomes a great mage?"

"It would have been better than what you've done!" Kariya retorted. He sent more insects forth, hoping to overwhelm Tokiomi with sheer numbers.

* * *

Kariya sat in a park, watching Rin and Sakura play. Aoi was with him.

"Thank you, Kariya. You fought hard for us." Aoi said.

He had finally reached his end goal.

Darkness overtook him.

* * *

Tokiomi and Kirei stared down at Kariya's body. He had burnt himself out trying to fight while sustaining Heracles. Archer and Assassin returned to them, their battle with Heracles finished.

"Master, there's something I need to say to you." Archer stated. "Concerning your daughter."

Perhaps Kariya wouldn't be the one to save Sakura. But he set her rescue in motion with his actions.


	2. Caster

Uryuu Ryuunosuke was the first thing Princess Medea saw upon summoning, followed shortly by the child that was on the floor. Given that the child was tied up on the floor, she could only presume that he was using the kid for the purposes of her summoning. That was strike one.

" _Coool_!" Uryuu cheered. "I summoned an actual demon!"

That was strike two.

"I ask of you, are you my Master?" Medea asked, as was tradition for a Servant. Maybe she could find _a_ positive trait in the man in front of her.

He shrugged, and then asked her to kill the child.

That was strike three.

There wasn't anything left of Uryuu to identify when Medea was finished.

* * *

She barely managed to find a leyline to leech mana off of after she killed Uryuu. Perhaps she should have waited until she had found one before ending that vermin's life, but Medea was never a fan of measured responses anyway.

The only reason she's even still in this world is because she made a contract with the child before sending him off to his parents. Maybe it wasn't a wise idea, but she had a soft spot for kids.

Medea took over a part of the sewers to use as her new base of operations. She'd need to start gathering power.

* * *

Days passed after the first battle of the war (which Medea had spied on through a crystal ball), and Medea had drained the mana from a fair few civilians. She was finally getting up to a proper level of strength to win this war. Now she just needed to figure out what she was going to do.

She could use Rule Breaker and make a contract with one of the Servants, but that raised more questions. Which one should she go for, and how was she going to do that?

Berserker, while tempting, wasn't an option. Between the sheer amount of mana that monster requires and the risk trying to take him, it wasn't practical. Lancer would be a good option, but she's not entirely certain where his Master is. Saber seemed obvious (and was the choice she preferred, if she was perfectly honest), but something told her that the Einzbern woman wasn't her actual Master. Archer and Assassin were too well-defended to go after.

That left one choice. Once she had her, then she could move on to another Servant. And then to another. Eventually, she could have every single Servant in the war under her control.

* * *

Sadly, her plan didn't go as well as she expected. Medea had already tracked down where Rider and her Master were hiding, and almost managed to capture said Master with invisible strings.

And then Rider cut them. She managed to detect Medea, lashing her chain-spike at the Caster. Medea barely managed to create a barrier in time, getting sent flying out of the house Rider's Master was hiding in.

"Medusa." Medea stated, taking flight. "Why do you serve that boy?"

Medusa summoned her mount, Pegasus, pursuing Medea. Pegasus did a barrel roll around a beam of magic Medea shot at Medusa. "I was summoned by him." Medusa said in retort. "I am not going to simply let you bring harm to my Master."

Medea created a series of runes in the air, shooting blast after blast at Medusa as the two flew through the night sky. To an observer's eye, Medusa almost seemed to phase through the blasts as she and Pegasus narrowly dodged every attack Medea sent her way.

The Caster switched battle strategy, firing off a series of homing beams. Pegasus darted upwards, streaking across the sky as the beams trailed behind it. Medusa and her steed ran rings around Medea, trying to shake the blasts off their trail before going on the offensive.

Medusa realized that the beams weren't going to stop until the hit something. She saw one something in the sky that would work perfectly. Pegasus charged at Medea, suddenly darting around the Caster just before contact.

Medea dispelled the beams before they could hit her. She spun around to see Medusa was hovering in the air, a fair distance away. Medea charged up for an ever stronger blast.

" _Do it, Rider_!" Rider's Master called out from the ground. Medea only barely heard him over the sound of her attack charging up.

" _Bellerophon_!" Medusa called out, and Pegasus... charged was too light a word to describe what it did. It had become a white comet, a shooting star streaking across the night sky.

Medea fired her blast. Pegasus kept going as if nothing was in its way. There was nothing Medea could to stop it.

Pegasus tore through her. Mercifully, death was instant for Princess Medea.

This new life was nothing but a failure for Princess Medea. All she wanted was to return to home, and fate had different ideas for her.


	3. Lancer

Cu Chulainn found himself standing before a man and a woman.

He saw that the man had Command Seals on his hand, and smirked.

"I suppose you're my Master. Cu Chulann at your service." Cu said. "What should I call you?"

"I am Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald. You may call me Lord Kayneth." His Master stated.

"Well, 'Lord' Kayneth, where's my target?"

Cu was brimming with energy, fresh from summoning and ready to fight. Cu idly noted that the woman seemed to glare at Kayneth with disdain, snapping back to a more polite face before Kayneth could notice.

Cu questioned if he was going to have to save a broken marriage on top of fighting in the Holy Grail War. Or at least get them to settle their issues and split up.

At least he won't be _bored_.

* * *

The first battle of the war began fairly quickly. Cu sat down at the docks, his Master hiding nearby. Kayneth cast a spell to act as bait, trying to get a Servant to come and try their hand against Cu.

Which will be both their first, and last, mistake.

The one to take the bait was Saber and her Master.

"So, you are Lancer." Saber stated. Her armored gown appeared in a flash of light, right before she drew her invisible sword. At least, Cu assumed it was a sword. It could've been an axe, or a spear, or even a bow.

"Indeed I am. I see your Master's got more guts than me." Cu noted, glancing at Saber's Master. "I'll try to keep her out of the crossfire."

"Thank you, Lancer. Let us do battle."

Cu spun around Gae Bolg, slipping into a battle stance. "I'll let you take the first move."

Saber didn't say another word, taking one step forward and suddenly rocketing at Cu. Cu blocked her opening slash with the shaft of his lance and then struck back with a swing of the weapon in one fluid motion. Saber brought up her blade, parrying the strike and attempting a counterattack.

Cu ducked under her first slash, thrusting the lance at her hundreds times in a single second. To her credit, Saber defended herself with all the skill expected of her class, with not a single one of the Lancer's strikes so much as grazing her.

Saber diverted Gae Bolg into the ground, knocking Cu off-balance for an instant. She attempted a follow-up slash to bisect Cu, only for the Lancer to jump back just in time to get a shallow cut across his chest instead of being split in two.

"Impressive, Lancer. Exactly what I'd expect from Ireland's Child of Light." Saber complimented.

"You figured that out quick." Cu remarked. "What gave it away?"

"There's only one spearman with your agility I can think of."

"Well, you got that right."

Cu moved, retrieving his weapon and swinging at Saber once more. Their fight was in earnest once more, both fighters unleashing attacks that had the force of bombs. Cu jumped away from a slash, annoyed that he couldn't tell the length of her invisible sword. That was the only reason he wasn't pressing as much as he should have. He ran along a wall of shipping containers, circling around Saber.

He dove at her from the side, lance clashing against her weapon for a moment before he bounced away.

The two stared each other down, trying to determine a new plan of attack. Cu was considering using the true power of Gae Bolg to end this, but decided against it. The fight was just starting to get good.

And then Berserker intruded on their battle, forcing the pair to team up and drive him off.

* * *

After the battle, Cu and Kayneth returned to the hotel they were staying at. Due to how much mana was spent during the fight, it wasn't safe to continue fighting Saber afterward (not that they would get the chance, as Saber and her Master had also decided to retreat after the battle with Berserker).

"Why did you not use your Noble Phantasm?" Kayneth questioned. "You had an _infinite_ number of chances to do so."

"I didn't want to, and _you_ never ordered it." Cu answered, kicking back in a chair that was supposed to be Kayneth's. "I was enjoying our battle until that Berserker showed up."

"Kayneth, you shouldn't be so hard on him." Sola-Ui, Kayneth's fiance, said. She was supplying Cu with mana, and it was quite a nice supply in the Lancer's opinion. "From now on, tell him when you want him to activate his Noble Phantasm."

Kayneth grumbled something. "Lancer, I want you to use your Noble Phantasm the instant you are able to against an enemy. I shouldn't have to waste a Command Seal on this."

"Fine. But don't blame me if your wife's exhausted by the end of this." Cu said.

The hotel was bombed about ten minutes later, courtesy of Saber's true Master.

* * *

Kayneth stormed the Einzbern mansion that same night, intending to crush Saber's Master while Lancer battled Saber herself.

This resulted in Kayneth being shot with one of Kiritsugu Emiya's Origin Bullets, killing Kayneth's Magic Circuits. Cu managed to break away from his battle with Saber, rescuing Kayneth and taking him to Sola-Ui.

Sola-Ui came out of her conversation with Kayneth bearing a new set of Command Seals on her hand.

"So, I suppose you're my new Master now." Cu noted, leaning against the wall.

"Will that be a problem?" Sola-Ui asked.

"As long as you let me have fun, I couldn't care less."

* * *

Sola-Ui turned out to be a much more enjoyable Master than Kayneth. She was much more willing to let Cu enjoy a fight, and she wasn't as antagonistic.

He also found out that Sola-Ui and Kayneth's engagement was an arranged marriage, done without either of their consent. The only difference was that Kayneth was pleased with said arrangement while Sola-Ui... wasn't.

Cu figured out pretty quickly that Sola-Ui was into him. He didn't really do anything to dissuade her. There really wasn't much point.

Time passed and battles were fought. Berserker was defeated the night after Kayneth stormed the Einzbern mansion. Caster was killed during an ill-fated attempt to attack on Rider's Master.

Cu got into a couple skirmishes with Assassin and Rider, but nobody really seemed interested in committing to a fight with him. Understandable, but it was getting annoying.

And then Assassin's Master kidnapped Saber's (presumed) Master, Cu and his Master happening to be in the area when it happened. They pursued him,

Assassin, Sasaki Kojiro (as he had stated during their first battle), stood outside the Fuyuki Center Building, katana drawn. Cu smirked. "Master, you should probably get back." He stated, twirling Gae Bolg around as he approached Assassin. "Our last battle ended in a draw. That's not gonna happen this time."

Assassin smirked. "I was ordered by Command Seal to guard this place from any possible intruders. Let us have a battle we can both look back on with pride."

"Now you're speakin' my language." Cu lunged, making the first move of the battle. Assassin brought up his blade, parrying Cu's thrust and countering with a slash aimed for the head. Cu ducked, the blade taking off a few particularly tall strands of hair instead of his head.

The Lancer struck back with a flurry of thrusts, Assassin gracefully parrying and dodging every strike. Cu was surprised. While Assassin was a skilled fighter, he wasn't this fast when they first battled. Must be the Command Seal strengthening him. Cu drove Gae Bolg into the ground, using it as leverage for a kick that forced Assassin back.

Assassin turned to the side, keeping his gaze trained on Cu. "Swallow Reversal." He stated as Cu moved in. The Lancer brought up Gae Bolg to block the expected slash, only to be caught off-guard as two other slashes somehow hit him.

" _Damn_." Cu hissed in pain, bleeding from his right side and right shoulder. His wounds started to heal, but it was still a pretty nasty blow. He jumped back, getting well out of Assassin's range.

"I had developed this technique after seeing a swallow. I wanted to test myself, to see if I could cut it out of the air. As the blade's motion is one line, it is difficult to have the swallow remain in the line with its speed. But, if there were two, or even three lines, then it becomes much easier." Assassin explained.

' _He's not telling the full story._ ' Cu thought. ' _Those attacks came at exactly the same time. Did he figure out how to refract dimensions through sheer training?_ '

Cu decided now was the time to end things. He twirled his lance around, aiming the head towards the ground. The weapon exploded with a red aura. "Gae... Bolg!" He lunged, the weapon and him seeming to vanish for an instant.

Gae Bolg appeared in Assassin's chest. Cu smirked, only to be surprised as Assassin managed to land another heavy slash on him.

"This was an enjoyable battle. Perhaps we'll meet again, Lancer." Assassin said, fading away.

Cu coughed up blood, falling onto a knee. Assassin managed to inflict lethal damage on him. Only his Battle Continuation skill was keeping him alive right now, giving him maybe two minutes to live and get the Holy Grail for his Master. He headed inside, entering the main hall where Irisviel von Einzbern was laying. Even just by sight, he could tell she was dead. Irisviel had become the Grail's vessel, and all that was left was to kill the other Servants.

' _Easy, just gotta put Archer, Rider, and Saber down in the span of a couple minutes._ ' Cu dryly thought to himself.

"Lancer." Saber stated, entering the hall. "It seems you are here too."

"Let's cut the chit-chat, alright? I haven't got much time. Let's settle things." Cu said.

"I understand." Saber responded, drawing her invisible sword. The sheath of air vanished. "As a sign of respect, I shall fight you with my weapon revealed."

Cu instantly understood that the weapon was Excalibur, even if she didn't say so. He made the first move once more, lunging with a barrage of thrusts. Saber defended herself valiantly, but still couldn't prevent herself from taking some damage as Cu let loose with everything he had. He couldn't use Gae Bolg's true power without completely burning himself out, and he didn't want to.

This was a battle between a legendary swordsman and a legendary spearman. Simply destroying the other with their Noble Phantasms would go against their prides, against the spirit of the fight. Saber managed to push him back after a parried thrust, stepping in for a heavy slash. Cu leapt into the air, planting his feet on the ceiling for a moment and springing off to dive down upon Saber with his lance extended.

She barely dodged the lightning-fast attack, bringing up her blade as he swung Gae Bolg to follow up. She was sent skidding across the floor from the force of the blow. Cu pursued, unleashing another barrage of thrusts that Saber could barely defend herself against. She managed to find an opening, forcing him to jump over a slash. He landed behind her, spinning around for a slash of his own.

Saber pivoted, clashing her blade against Gae Bolg. The lance was knocked out of Cu's hand by the sheer force of the blow. Cu barely dodged her follow up, grabbing his lance out of the air and bringing it down for an overhead.

This one knocked Saber off-balance. Cu finally had an opening to end this. He thrusted his lance at her neck.

His attack stopped just short of piercing her skin. Cu's life finally ran out.

The Lancer faded away. He didn't have any regrets in this Holy Grail War. He fought. He had fun. He got what he really wanted out of this.

He just hoped that Sola-Ui would be all right without him.

* * *

Five years later, Sola-Ui was back at Clock Tower, teaching Spiritual Evocation.

One of her students had came into her office to ask about something, seeing a picture of her with a blue-haired man.

When asked about it, she simply responded with: "An old friend that I couldn't get to know better."

And when asked about it, she smiled, fondly remembering her time with him.


	4. Rider

"Yes! It worked!" Waver Velvet cheered. He was standing in a forest clearing with his newly summoned Servant, Medusa.

Medusa didn't need to ask if he was her Master. She managed to sense that he had Command Seals on his hand fairly easily, and there was no other people within a fairly large radius of them.

"So, you _are_ Medusa, right?" Waver asked. "The Catalyst I... _borrowed_ was that of some stones that were supposed to be from..."

Medusa understood why he trailed off. She was annoyed he mentioned it, but appreciated that he stopped himself from speaking further. She nodded to answer Waver's question.

Waver felt confident in his chances.

* * *

Their plan was simple. Waver and Medusa would simply hide out and not draw attention to themselves for as long as possible, using Medusa's various abilities to destroy any Servant or Master that makes an attempt on them. The enemy Masters shouldn't know their location, and any that do will be in for a very rude awakening courtesy of Medusa. They'll consider heading out on a patrol if a Master discovers their location, but simply staying put was their best shot at winning.

The only real problem was that Waver was finding himself having... thoughts. Which made things incredibly awkward. He found himself stammering and stuttering more often than usual whenever he had to speak with her (which wasn't that often, but it was still too much).

"Master, are you okay?" Medusa eventually asked.

"Uh- yeah, I'm fine! Totally fine. No problems here!" Waver answered, attempting to play it cool.

Medusa didn't believe him.

* * *

Their first battle began in the middle of the night. Caster made an attempt to steal Waver's Command Seals and take control of Medusa, only for Medusa to strike in return. She sent Caster flying out of the house, shattering a window.

Medusa decided she'd fix it later. Caster took flight into the sky, and Medusa pursued with Pegasus.

Their battle was short and swift, ending when Waver used a Command Seal to boost Medusa's mana for a full-force Bellerophon.

* * *

The next morning, Waver woke up to find that the window was repaired. It was as if Caster had never arrived in the first place to be punted through it. Medusa was standing in front of the window.

"Good morning, Rider." Waver said, yawning. "Did you fix that?"

Medusa nodded. "I didn't see the point in letting my Master sleep in a room with a hole in it."

"Thanks." Waver sat up, stretching. According to clock, it was still pretty early, so he had time before his 'grandparents' cooked breakfast.

"Can I ask you a question?" Medusa asked.

"What do you want to ask?"

"Why are you after the Holy Grail?"

Waver paused, trying to think through his answer. "Well, most Mages are after the Root, but I mostly just want recognition. Everyone treats me like garbage because I'm not from some prestigious bloodline that's been practicing Magecraft for centuries. I just want to be recognized as being capable. It's a stupid wish, I know."

"It's not a stupid wish." Medusa firmly stated. "During my life, I've never once been treated like a person instead of a monster. You're the first person besides my sisters to treat me more like a human than a monster."

Waver was silent, surprised to see this side of Medusa.

"Let's win this war, Master."

* * *

From then on, Waver and Medusa started going out on patrol with Pegasus. Waver was motivated thanks to Medusa's words, and he wanted to not just survive this, but to _win_ this.

The Holy Grail War started to take a down turn, slowing as no combatant was interested in really committing to a fight. And Team Rider was no exception to that. They encountered Assassin and Lancer on separate occasions. Assassin ran from them on his Master's orders, and they were forced to retreat from Lancer due to his overwhelming ability.

And then Assassin's Master kidnapped the Einzbern Master. He set off flares to signal his 'victory'.

"So, he thinks he's won." Waver said to himself, looking into the distance.

"Let's prove him wrong." Medusa said.

Waver held out his hand, his Command Seals glowing. "By my Command Seal, I have one order. Defeat every Servant in between us and the Holy Grail." His second Command Seal faded. "And by my final Command Seal, I order you survive the battles."

With his final Command Seal expended, Waver felt confident. Medusa was a powerhouse, and the Command Seals should give her enough power to beat any Servant in this war if they played their cards right.

Medusa summoned Pegasus. "Let's go." She said, picking Waver up and setting him down on her steed.

* * *

Their opponent turned out to be Archer, standing on the Fuyuki Bridge. Pegasus touched down on the pavement on the opposite end of the bridge, Waver and Medusa dismounting.

"So, you're going to be my next target." Archer remarked. "I suppose I haven't fought you before."

"This will be our first and last encounter." Medusa stated.

"I hope so. I've been given an order by my Master to destroy every Servant that gets between us and the Grail." Archer summoned twin swords in his hands. "And I'm allowed to go all out to end things."

Medusa turned to Waver. "Waver, I want you to turn around and run. I'm going to use _that_ Noble Phantasm."

Waver was quiet for a moment. "Got it. Just, remember my order."

"You used two Command Seals, remember? I don't think it's possible for me to forget." Medusa stated, turning her focus back to Archer. Waver began running.

"So, Medusa, I presume your plan on using your eyes to turn me to stone?" Archer surmised.

Medusa didn't say anything. Did he see her battle with Caster and ascertain her identity when she used her Noble Phantasm?

"I thought so. I've got a few tricks of my own up my sleeve. Let's see who wins first." Archer closed his eyes to focus. " _I am the bone of my sword._ "

* * *

Waver ran back to the bridge a few minutes later, having sensed that the battle was over.

His worst fears were quickly confirmed. Medusa was dying, turned into a living pincushion by Archer. She'd probably be collapsed on the pavement if it wasn't for the blades keeping her propped up.

" _Rider_!" He cried out, rushing to her side. Her eyes had been sliced out during the battle, shutting off her Noble Phantasm. "Rider, please, _please..._ " Tears welled up in his eyes.

"Waver?" Medusa questioned. "You came back."

"I couldn't leave you."

Medusa smiled. "Thank you. For caring about me. You were more than I ever hoped for in a Master." The blades inside her dematerialized. Waver managed to catch her, falling onto his knees. "Remember, you're better than everyone thinks you are. You're better than _you_ think you are."

The two sat there in silence for a few seconds as Medusa began to fade away, Waver's tears freely streaming down his face.

Waver blankly stared at the space that used to be occupied by Medusa, overwhelmed with emotion. There was nothing he could've done. He didn't have the power to back up his Servant.

Archer leapt off into the darkness of the night, hoping that Waver would be able to move on from this. He knew what it felt like to have problems moving on from a loss like this.

* * *

Waver, while not the winner of the Fourth Holy Grail War, was still a survivor of it. And with most of the other survivors not being popular with the Mage's Association, this meant that Waver was considered to be one of the 'winners' in the eyes of the association. 

Which meant that Waver started to be recognized as a worthy mage. Things started to look up for him. And he had one woman to thank for it.

Even years after the Fourth Holy Grail War, he still kept the stones he used to summon Medusa as a keepsake.


	5. Assassin

Sasaki Kojiro's summoning wasn't a dramatic affair. His Master, Kirei Kotomine, uttered the incantation with about as much interest as you would expect from a hollow shell of a man, and Kojiro appeared.

"I am Sasaki Kojiro, Assassin class Servant. Are you my Master?"

Kirei simply nodded. "I am Kirei Kotomine."

* * *

While Tokiomi and Kirei had planned on using a strategy involving faking their Assassin's death and then letting Kirei act without arousing anyone's suspicions. Sadly, Kojiro didn't have any abilities that would allow that, and Archer seemed wary of trusting Kirei with anything.

So, this meant that a more hit-and-run strategy was to be taken.

Their first battle was against Berserker, who proved to be quite the challenge.

Kojiro dodged a wild slash of beast's weapon, countering with a slash of his blade. It didn't do much, not even scratching him. He stepped back as Berserker attempted to strike, trying to piece together a strategy. Archer shot a barrage of arrows down upon Berserker, stalling him for an instant.

"Assassin, we just have to slow him down!" Archer ordered. Kojiro was fascinated by this nameless Archer. He seemed to know things that nobody should know, and had a strange look in his eye whenever Kirei was present.

Kojiro would later realize this look was one of hate. He dodged another attack from Berserker, stepping around to Berserker's rear and swiping at his ankle. Berserker threw out a kick at the Assassin, barely missing. The monster pivoted, bringing his weapon down upon Kojiro.

Or at least, he attempted to. Archer created a chain that wrapped around Berserker's arm, holding him back for a few moments. Just long enough for Assassin to get back.

Berserker roared, leaping at Archer.

Archer smirked. Berserker crumbled into nothingness, his Master unable to supply him more mana.

* * *

After storming the Matou mansion (which turned out to be disappointingly easy), and dealing with everything inside, Kojiro realized something about his Master.

He doesn't seem to enjoy _anything_.

"What brings you pleasure, Kirei Kotomine?" Kojiro asked.

"What sort of question is that?" Kirei asked in retort.

"I have never seen you take pleasure in anything."

"I have been busy." Kirei stated.

"You've never felt pleasure from anything, have you?"

Kirei didn't acknowledge his statement.

* * *

The war was slow and methodical. While Kojiro lacked the Presence Concealment to truly assassinate someone, he was still a powerful Servant who would've been a Saber if the class wasn't already filled by the time he was summoned.

He battled Lancer and Rider. Neither of those battles were decisive, Kirei ordering him to retreat both times.

Kirei had a strange look in his eye when he saw how disappointed Kojiro was. The first time, Kojiro dismissed it. The second time, however, was different.

"You take pleasure in the suffering of others." Kojiro stated.

Kirei was utterly shocked by the accusation.

"I am not judging you, Master. I take pleasure in the art of the blade, and wielding it against others. In a sense, I'm no different from you."

Kirei took time to respond. "What are you trying to say?" He questioned. "Are you insinuating that I am a monster?"

"If that is how you wish to interpret it. Perhaps the Holy Grail may have the answer you seek. Perhaps it could grant you your wish."

* * *

Kirei Kotomine ended up coming to the church while trying to clear his thoughts. Assassin's words had cut into him deeper than he would have expected.

Was he truly a monster who only found joy in suffering?

"Kirei, I'm surprised to see you." His father, Risei, said.

Like a wild animal, Kirei lunged for his father, wrapping his hands around his throat. A sickening crack resounded in the church, Kirei snapping his father's neck.

Kirei smiled.

And then he started laughing.

Kojiro materialized behind him. "It seems that you've discovered what brings you pleasure." He noted. While he was disgusted by the sight, he really had no other option besides obey his Master. "What is your plan?"

* * *

Kirei managed to track down the Grail's vessel without much issue, using Kojiro to distract Saber. By this point, the vessel was too weak to stop him from killing her as well and taking her body.

He set off flares to act as bait after finishing preparations for the Grail. The chaos that would ensue would make sure that the remaining Servants would deal with each other. He used three of the Command Seals he took off Risei's body to strengthen Kojiro before ordering him to guard the main so nobody could send their Servant after the Grail.

"Kirei Kotomine." Kiritsugu Emiya stated, aiming his machine gun at the Executor. The one Kirei considered to be the most dangerous in this war, even if they haven't directly met before now.

Kirei didn't say anything. He lunged, drawing his Black Keys in one fluid motion. Kiritsugu fired. Kirei dashed through the hail of gunfire, blocking the bullets with his weapons as he lunged.

Kiritsugu activated Time Alter to double his speed, dodging Kirei's slashes and making a gap between them. He drew the Thompson Contender, firing a shot straight into Kirei's arm. Despite being shot with an Origin Round, Kirei kept going at Kiritsugu, forcing him to use Time Alter again to keep up. He was just lucky Saber was close enough to for Avalon to function to let him to do this.

A blast of fire forced Kirei to get back. Tokiomi held his staff out, walking to Kiritsugu's side.

"I apologize for my former apprentice's behavior." Tokiomi stated, before unleashing another blast of fire at Kirei. "I trust you won't attack me until we're finished here?"

Kiritsugu reloaded his Thompson Contender. He would have to destroy Kirei's heart to stop him. "Can you open him up so I can shoot him in the chest?" He asked.

Tokiomi nodded, grabbing a few gems out of his pocket with his free hand while keeping his staff trained on Kirei. Kirei knew exactly what Tokiomi was planning.

Kiritsugu pushed his Time Accel further to triple speed, drawing his knife and rushing at Kirei. If he can just find an opening, this battle would be over.

Kirei deflected every strike Kiritsugu attempted with ease, stepping around to dodge a fire blast from Tokiomi before driving his hand into Kiritsugu's rib cage. The blow destroyed Kiritsugu's heart in one shot, sending him flying into the wall. Even still, Kiritsugu stood, Avalon healing his injuries.

' _Time Alter: Square Accel!_ ' Kiritsugu pushed his Time Accel even further, closing the distance and moving even faster. Kirei was instantly forced onto the defensive. Despite his opponent having more than tripled in speed, Kirei was still untouchable.

And then Tokiomi threw his gems, freezing Kirei's limbs in crystal. Kiritsugu put the barrel of his Thompson Contender right up to Kirei's chest.

He fired.


	6. Archer

Heroic Spirit EMIYA looked at his Master with mild interest. He had been hoping to be summoned into the Fifth Holy Grail War to stop his past self from becoming him, but this was just as good (if not better).

His Master stared at him in surprise. "Are you Gilgamesh?"

Archer shook his head. "I am not. May I ask your name, Master?"

"Tokiomi Tohsaka." His Master said, bowing. Archer decided then and there that he would make sure he survives this no matter what, for Rin's sake. "May I have yours?"

Archer took a moment to decide upon his answer. "I cannot give you my name. You can use a Command Seal to force me to do so, but it would be a wasteful act for something that will not help you in this war."

Tokiomi paused in thought. "I suppose we will work without your name being known. The Archer class is best at acting independently, so I will trust you can take care of strategy for the time being."

Archer's face didn't show any noticeable emotion.

* * *

Archer's first act once the war officially began was to start scouting. Fuyuki was different than he remembered, and he would need to relearn the city's layout to maximize effectiveness.

' _I suppose the fire changed more than I expected._ ' He mentally noted, jumping from one roof to another to get a higher vantage point.

Archer came to a stop atop the Fuyuki Bridge, overlooking the docks. He had sensed a pulse of mana coming from there, an obvious attempt at bait.

That's where he saw Lancer, standing in the middle of the docks with his weapon at the ready.

Archer instantly recognized him as Cu Chulainn. This proved to be a surprise. He had assumed that the Servants in the Fourth Holy Grail War were different than that of the Fifth. If Lancer was the same and he was replacing Gilgamesh, then that raises questions regarding the rest of the Servants.

And then he saw Saber. The woman he loved once upon a time.

This was going to be a difficult war for him.

* * *

The rest of the night didn't come with _too_ many surprises (even Berserker being Heracles wasn't much of a surprise), thankfully. He saw Lancer's Master going for the Einzbern mansion (he remembered that Illya was another person he had to save, and that one was going to be difficult), but nothing really threatened his chances of winning.

The next day, Berserker and his Master attacked the Tohsaka mansion. Archer could not even _begin_ to state how lucky they were that Berserker's Master wasn't nearly strong enough to power that monster.

That said, Kariya Matou reminded him of another person he needed to save.

"Master, there's a matter concerning your daughter we need to address." Archer said. "I have reason to believe that Sakura is in serious danger."

Tokiomi took longer to respond than Archer would have liked. "I suppose Kariya wouldn't attempt to attack me without reason. Do some reconnaissance on the Matou mansion and tell me what you see."

Archer braced himself for the worst as he dematerialized. Hearing about it second-hand from Sakura was bad enough. Seeing it in action wasn't going to be pleasant.

* * *

It was easy for Archer to make it past the Matou manor's defenses, sneaking his way in. Sadly, it wasn't nearly as easy to stomach what he saw inside.

Sakura. He only managed to figure out how much pain she was in a few months before his death, which recontextualized every interaction they ever had in his timeline. Looking back, those days before Zouken's life ended must have been immensely painful, with him as her only respite.

She was even more broken now than when they first met. Her gaze was distant, staring at the wall in 'her' room. He wanted desperately to just grab her now and take her away. But he wasn't sure how much he could trust Tokiomi without giving him undeniable truth.

' _Master, I have found Sakura._ ' Archer telepathically informed. He felt Tokiomi strengthen their connection so he could see through the Servant's eyes.

Tokiomi was silent. Even still, Archer felt the horror Tokiomi was feeling.

After some time, Zouken arrived and dragged Sakura away. He didn't notice Archer, thankfully. Archer followed him into the basement, where he saw... _them_.

The Crest Worms writhed as Zouken threw her into the worm pit. Archer retched despite being in spirit form.

' _Archer, take Sakura and come back._ ' Tokiomi ordered.

Archer didn't waste a second, materializing and rushing past Zouken to grab Sakura. Before Zouken even had the chance to try stopping him, Archer severed his arm with a thrown Kanshou and then made his escape.

* * *

Archer watched from the sidelines as Tokiomi and Sakura had their reunion. Tokiomi desperately held his daughter, tearfully muttering apologies. This... this was too painful to watch. He turned away, trying to ignore the crying behind him. He couldn't allow himself to feel. Not yet. Not until he was sure the fire would not happen.

"I'm so sorry..." Tokiomi said. "I only wanted the best for you..."

The fact that Sakura didn't respond was what hurt both Servant and Master the most. It was like she didn't even recognize her own father.

Archer made a decision that night. He was going to end Zouken's life, no matter what.

* * *

That night, Tokiomi had a dream of his Servant's past.

It was a haze of strife. The red-clad Archer was once a boy who had great aspirations, and fought hard alongside a woman with golden hair and a strangely familiar girl. But he failed to save the woman. Friends and family died during and after his first major conflict, starting a slippery slope of suffering that only grew steeper as the years went on.

He fought to save people, to be a real life superhero. He pushed away everyone he loved. He did everything he could to prevent another person from suffering.

And his reward at the end of it all?

A hill in a wasteland of blades. A memorial to his wasted life. And a life of eternal servitude to a force that cares not for his ideals.

* * *

When he awoke, Tokiomi found Archer standing in his room. "You had a dream, didn't you?" Archer said.

"Who are you?" Tokiomi questioned. "I need to know if I'm going to trust you. How do you know my daughter?"

Archer sighed. "Nothing I say leaves this room, you understand?"

Tokiomi nodded.

" _I am the bone of my sword._

_Steel is my body, and fire is my blood._

_I have created over a thousand blades._

_Unknown to death,_

_Nor known to life._

_Have withstood pain to create many weapons._

_Yet, those hands will never hold anything._

_So as I pray,_

_Unlimited Blade Works._ "

They were brought into the wasteland of blades Tokiomi saw in the dream, Archer's Noble Phantasm.

"I was a boy named Shirou Emiya, currently six years old in this time." Archer said. "My adoptive father is Kiritsugu Emiya, who takes me in after a fire ravages Fuyuki City with the next week."

Tokiomi took a moment to process this information. "You're from this era. And your father is the Mage Killer."

"He is Saber's true Master, and the winner of the Fourth Holy Grail War. At least, he was in the original timeline."

"Then... am I destined to fail?"

"I can't say for certain, but I can assure you that I'm going to fight to win. But there are a few loose ends that need to be dealt. Specifically, the man who kills you, and Zouken Matou."

Tokiomi wasn't surprised. Death often comes with failure, after all. "Who kills me?" He felt almost uneasy asking about it, however, like just hearing the name was something he would regret.

"Kirei Kotomine." Archer answered.

Tokiomi's guess that he would regret hearing the name was correct. "You... please tell me this is a joke."

"I wish it was, Master. I do not know exactly when, how, or why he does it, but he ends your life before this Holy Grail War is over, orphaning Rin and widowing her mother."

Rin's mother. That was another person Archer would have to save, if only for Rin's sake. "Are you going to kill him?" Tokiomi asked.

"Do you want me to?"

"I would prefer not to. He is my student, and I quite enjoy working with him."

"Then I will deal with him only if he is making an attempt on your life." Archer stated. He would have preferred to simply kill Kirei now, but he'll tolerate letting the bastard live.

"And what of Zouken Matou? What do you think he's planning?"

"As for Zouken, he will most likely be attempting to kill you in the near future to take back Sakura. So, I say we make the first move and put him down first. Kirei should be useful for this."

* * *

They stormed the Matou mansion that night. Kirei was thankfully quite understanding of their goal of killing an inhuman monster like Zouken and offered his services as a Church Executioner without any sort of question.

The team of Archer, Tokiomi, Kirei, and Assassin was far more than enough to break through every single defense Zouken could have put up.

Archer was almost disappointed. Sure, he had snuck in just fine to get Sakura, but he was expecting at least some sort of resistance beyond Zouken throwing insects at them. It was amusing to watch Assassin use his Swallow Reversal to kill a swarm of bugs, but that sadly didn't get to last very long, as Kirei managed to close the distance between himself and Zouken.

One exorcism later, and Zouken was completely removed from this mortal coil.

* * *

After confirming Sakura's health (Kirei used some of his skills to deal with some problems that had occurred as a result of the Crest Worms within her), and leaving her with Rin and Aoi, that left Archer with a lack of things to worry about.

Well, that was wrong. He was always worrying about something. He still had at least three people to save.

That was going to be more difficult.

Kiritsugu most likely wanted to save the world with the Holy Grail, to achieve the same impossible dream Archer had learned from him. That meant that convincing him of the Grail's corruption beforehand would be nigh-impossible.

And Illya wasn't even in the country. Which, needless to say, posed a significant problem. He absolutely needed to prevent the next Holy Grail War from happening. He was not letting Illya become the vessel in this timeline.

And then there was Saber. He was fairly certain this one was going to be impossible, but he was going to try anyway.

He supposed a little bit of the old Shirou Emiya had made a resurgence with his summoning.

Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing this time.

* * *

Archer decided he needed to speak with his Master once more, bringing him into Unlimited Blade Works once more.

"There is one last piece of information I learned in my time you must know." Archer stated. He was annoyed with himself for forgetting to tell Tokiomi about it earlier, but that was in the past. "I know this will sound insane, but you need to believe me."

Tokiomi silently urged him to continue. He could tell that Archer wasn't the kind of person to speak with him like this without good reason.

"During the Third Holy Grail War, the Einzbern family decided to skirt the rules and summon a Servant outside the traditional seven. They summoned Angra Mainyu, a simple villager who was blamed for all the world's evils. When he was defeated, he returned to the Grail, corrupting it. It will not serve any Master, not in a way that could benefit them."

Tokiomi didn't say a word. Archer understood why. It is hard to give up on something you've spent so much time trying to achieve.

Archer knew that all too well. "So, Master, what do you plan on doing with this information?"

"I... We must destroy the Holy Grail." Tokiomi answered.

Archer chuckled. "I'm surprised. I thought I would have had to at least twist your arm a little, or something."

"There's... something I need to protect. I lost sight of it until recently, but I realize what I need to do. Archer, I want you to do whatever it takes to win."

Archer smiled. It seems Tokiomi found (or was reminded of) a reason to fight besides the honor of the Tohsaka clan.

* * *

Mercifully, the Holy Grail War was starting to wind down. Nobody wanted to commit to a fight.

It gave Archer time to think. Which was both a blessing and a curse. Time to plan, and time to remember all the pain he was trying to avert.

He counted the people he's saved so far. Rin, Sakura, their mother, Shinji, and... Tokiomi. Five people he could safely say he's saved.

At least, assuming fate doesn't decide to screw him over like usual.

* * *

Eventually, the final night of the Holy Grail War began. Kirei took Irisviel von Einzbern, and took her to to the Fuyuki Central Building to summon the Holy Grail.

Archer met Rider on the Fuyuki Bridge on the way. Tokiomi had already moved on ahead, planning on stopping Kirei himself. As much as Archer hated the idea of having the two in the same room, he let him go.

Besides, Rider would need to be dealt with anyway.

He activated Unlimited Blade Works, keeping his eyes shut. He could not allow her to hit him with her petrifying gaze. Aiming would be difficult without his sight, but the use of his Noble Phantasm would solve that problem in part.

Rider darted through the practical storm of blades on Pegasus, narrowly avoiding everything Archer threw at her. He knew all of her senses were too finely honed for this to be easy.

Of course, he had countermeasures. He summoned his bow, before projecting Hrunting and transforming it into an arrow. After all, a sword that will always strike true was the perfect weapon to be converted into a projectile.

He shot it at Rider, who easily dodged it and lashed her chain spike at him. Hrunting curved around in the air, pursuing Rider like a heat-seeking missile. She sped up, rocketing through the sky of the Reality Marble in an attempt to shake it off her tail while dodging the rest of the blades flying at her.

Hrunting didn't stop pursuing her no matter what she did. So she just cut the figurative knot and destroyed it with her chain before it could get too close. Archer didn't care, instead just creating a second one and firing it at her. This one moved even faster than the last. Rider destroyed it immediately, not even giving it a chance.

Archer smirked, creating and firing a third Hrunting. After that, he dropped his bow and projected Kanshou and Bakuya. He threw them, projected another pair, and then only threw the new copy of Bakuya. He moved from his position, running in a curved path. He projected a replacement Bakuya, and then threw Kanshou.

Rider's speed simply increased. Even with the copies of Kanshou and Bakuya being attracted to each other, she was faster than their air speed. Archer's traps simply couldn't hit her.

That was what Archer wanted her to think. Blades rained down from above her, forcing her to either power through or dodge. She chose the latter, as Archer expected. One of the blades in that barrage was another Hrunting, which caught her off-guard and sliced through its target.

Her eyes. Hrunting cut out her eyes smoothly, allowing Archer the freedom to use his without worry.

The battle was over. The Hrunting from before impaled Rider, before more blades came in to turn her into a pincushion.

Archer dispelled the Reality Marble, and leapt into the night. He did hope Waver would be able to move on from Rider's death.

He wouldn't want another kid making the same mistake as him.

* * *

He entered the Central Building, where he found Saber; who had just finished her battle with Lancer. The Holy Grail had just manifested over the corpse of a woman that looked painfully familiar to Archer.

"Saber..." Archer muttered. "Please, don't make me do this."

Saber was confused by his statement, but raised her sword anyway. "Are you going to stand between me and the Holy Grail?"

"The Grail has been corrupted by a being known as Angra Mainyu. It will not grant your wish." Archer stated, summoning his bow. Getting into close-quarters would not be a great idea. "And whatever does happen will only bring about misery."

Saber didn't back down. "You're lying." She simply said, before lunging at him.

Archer supposed he should have expect this. When they first met, the acquisition of the Holy Grail was Saber's primary goal. This was before that meeting.

He fired a barrage of arrows while darting to the side, narrowly avoiding her first attack.

* * *

Tokiomi arrived to the battle between Kiritsugu and Kirei just in time, and proved to be an immense help in putting Tokiomi's former student down.

After Kiritsugu took the shot, he collapsed.

Tokiomi almost considered running to Archer and going for the Grail, but decided against it. There was no point in trying to acquire a Grail that was only going to bring about the end of all he loved. He supposed this Holy Grail War changed things for him, albeit not in the way he expected.

He looked to Kirei's body. The priest's heart was utterly destroyed by the point-blank shot from Kiritsugu's weapon. That meant that his daughter well and truly an orphan. And the student he had loved teaching was gone.

' _Archer, status report._ ' He telepathically requested.

' _Currently in combat with Saber. She is after the Holy Grail and will not stop until it is either it is in her hands or I end her_ _life._ ' Archer responded. ' _Just stay alive and continue to feed me mana. I should be able to defeat her with proper planning._ '

Their conversation ended there. No sense in dragging it out when Archer needed to focus.

Kiritsugu awakened, standing up.

"Kiritsugu Emiya, the Holy-"

"The Holy Grail is corrupted by Angra Mainyu." Kiritsugu stated. "It intends to grant my dream of saving the world by killing all of humanity to achieve it."

* * *

Tokiomi and Kiritsugu rushed to where the Holy Grail was, to see Archer and Saber locked in mortal combat.

Archer was continuously forced into close-quarters every time he managed to make some distance between them, forced to fight where he was weaker. His only saving grace was the Noble Phantasm he had chosen to project whenever he got into that situation.

Clarent. The sword Mordred used. Every time Saber saw that blade, she hesitated a little.

It reminded her too much of her failures.

"Saber, I order you by Command Seal..." Kiritsugu stated, holding out his hand.

' _Obtain the Holy Grail!_ ' Saber thought, preparing to move.

"Destroy the Holy Grail." Kiritsugu concluded, spending his first Command Seal of the Holy Grail War.

Saber raised her weapon to the sky. Golden light poured out of it, beginning to show its true power as the Sword of Promised Victory.

"Archer, I order you by Command Seal, destroy the Holy Grail." Tokiomi said, spending his first Command Seal.

Archer summoned his bow, before projecting Caladbolg. He saw no point in risking using a projection of Excalibur when a boosted Broken Phantasm Caladbolg would do well enough in tandem with the real Excalibur.

"By my second Command Seal, I order you to not hold back." Both Kiritsugu and Tokiomi ordered, spending their second Command Seals.

Saber wanted to say so much. But she couldn't. There was too much to say, and not enough time to say it. Why did Kiritsugu betray her like this?

"And by my final Command Seal, I order you make sure that Angra Mainyu will never enact its will upon the world!"

With both Masters spending their final Command Seals, the Servants unleashed their attacks. Both the holy light of Excalibur and the explosive arrow Archer unleashed struck the Holy Grail at the same time.

Their combined power shattered the Holy Grail, leaving it as nothing more than useless chunks of gold that couldn't grant any wish.

Archer looked to his Master, and to Kiritsugu. "Kiritsugu Emiya, make sure your daughter has a long and happy life. And Tokiomi Tohsaka, give your daughters both the lives they deserve. Without worry of glory or honor."

Archer faded away in peace. At least one Shirou wouldn't go down his path.

Saber faded away with anger and resentment in her heart, returning to that hill where she was to die all those years ago. There will be another Holy Grail War, and she will have it next time. She _has_ to. For the sake of England.

* * *

The Fourth Holy Grail War was finally over. Kiritsugu and Tokiomi decided to keep in touch in case the Grail made its return early, being the only people truly aware of Angra Mainyu's influence.

Tokiomi finally got to return to his family again.

"Daddy!" Rin shouted, practically tackling her father and hugging him.

"Rin..." Tokiomi said, embracing his daughter. It had been so long since he had seen her face. "I... I'm happy to see you again. I'm sorry I couldn't see you sooner."

He heard a creak come from above.

"Father..." Sakura said, standing at the top of the stairs.

Tokiomi looked up at his youngest daughter. It was... almost impossible to face her.

Sakura walked down the stairs and hugged him.

Perhaps it would be a while before everything could truly be considered 'back to normal' but the Tohsaka family was at least together. And that was the most important part.

* * *

Kiritsugu returned to Fuyuki a few months later with his daughter, Illyasviel. She was a bit older than the Tohsaka children, but became fast friends with them regardless.

He was going to have to figure out how to move on from everything the Fourth Holy Grail War took from him. Irisviel and his dream. At least he still had his daughter and Maiya. It was the one mercy fate had granted him.

"What are you going to do?" Maiya had asked him, not long after getting Illya back (and forcing Acht to make it so she would live a normal human lifespan).

"I think the Mage Killer is going to retire." He answered. "I have something more important to protect."

* * *

This Fourth Holy Grail left many scars on its participants. Kayneth Archibald would never be able to use magecraft again. Tokiomi had to deal with his own failures, which lead to the death of two valued friends. Kiritsugu lost his wife and abandoned his dream.

Some got off better, like Waver Velvet or Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri, who both had gained quite a bit of respect for being Mage's Association mages who survived the war.

And the greatest result of this war?

A red-headed child would never become a hero.


End file.
